It’s spring, it’s spring, it’s spring again. The sun is back, bees are out and early birds are busy on the lawn.

It’s time to think about the beauty of flowers and what we can do to brighten our world with a gorgeous splash of colour.

We want to help.

Today we are launching our exclusive series of Garden Collections — six fabulous selections guaranteed to bring exciting colours and textures to your garden space this summer, be it balcony, patio, terrace or deck or traditional garden, large or small.

You’ll find something here for everyone, regardless of style or size of garden or your level of gardening expertise.

Each collection has a title — Lily Lovers, Patio Perfection, Dazzling Dahlias, Made for the Shade, Designer Daylilies and Busy Bees and Butterflies.

The Lily Lovers comprises an ace-assortment of Oriental lilies, one of the most reliable and consistent top-seller summer-flowering bulbs in the gardening world.

Why are they so consistently popular?

Well, because of the dazzling flowers and delightful fragrance they produce. These are ideal for injecting into the garden to deliver awesome splashes of colour in summer. Some of these Oriental lilies are “doubles” which means they have dense, multi-petalled blooms.

The Patio Perfection lilies are shorter, more compact dwarf Asiatic lilies, ideal for growing in containers on balconies, patios, decks or terraces.

Put these into a few containers scattered around your deck or patio, and you’ll get an explosion of dynamic colour.

How much work does it take to plant these lilies?

It is one of the easiest garden projects you can do. Make a hole, pop the bulb in, cover it over, and walk away. Beautiful flowers will appear.

The Dazzling Dahlias Collection is for people looking for a special splash of colour that will knock the socks off friends when they come to visit. This collection is guaranteed to impress.

It consists of striking dahlias with flowers the size of dinner plates. They are some of the best produced by years of careful cultivation and can be planted in containers or directly in the garden to deliver a high-impact statement.

Originating from Mexico and Guatemala, these big, beefy dahlias are a feast for the eyes. The flowers have a proud, regal look. No wonder they were the favourites of Inca kings.

These require the same amount of time to plant as lilies. Same process. Dig the hole, drop the tuber in, cover it over and wait to be amazed. No fuss.

The Made for the Shade Collection consists of some of the best plants for growing in shady areas, but these winners are versatile and will also perform very happily in containers on shady balconies, patios and decks.

Our package contains eight bare-root plants, all first-rate perennials, some of which are regarded as the best in their category, such as Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ and Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’.

The Designer Daylilies Collection features a set of exceptional varieties in the Hemerocallis group. These are plants that look fantastic even before they bloom because of their lovely green strap-like leaves.

The flowers are the icing on the cake, producing cluster after cluster of tantalizing blooms for weeks and weeks.

The Bee and Butterfly Collection is a way to do something to help bees and butterflies to thrive.

The sight of these winged creatures in any community is a sign of a healthy environment, so we want to do everything we can to make it easier for them to flourish.

All the plants in this collection attract beneficial pollinating insects that are essential for a healthy garden.

But they also just happen to also have beautiful flowers that provide colour over a long period from the middle to the end of summer.

If you want to share the fun with friends or relatives in other parts of Canada, you can send them the collection you think will enjoy most.

The packages are delivered according to climate zones, so you will receive them at the perfect time for planting.

All six collections were carefully selected and approved by me in consultation with our retail partners, Botanus, a Langley-based horticultural mail-order company, to bring you top-quality, reliable cultivars that are guaranteed to perform.

Those not using the Internet can phone an order in by calling either 604-513-0100 or 1-800-672-3413.

Once your order is placed, it will be processed. Your package will be delivered according to your climate zone so that you receive the plants at the correct time for planting. Expect shipment by mid-April to mid-May. You will find planting instructions inside the package.

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I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.